Tsamantas
Tsamantas is a village located in Epirus. Tsamantas lies near the border with Albania in northern Greece, in the prefecture of Thesprotia. Nearest places *Filiates *Vavouri *Kato Lesinitsa *Ano Lesinitsa References *The village of Tsamantas *Tsamantas, Greece *Tsamantas Map Category:Thesprotia Category:Villages in Greece The traditional village of Tsamantas is located in Epirus in northern Greece, near the border with Albania. It lies within the prefecture of Thesprotia. To the north of the village stands Mount Stougara, part of the Keravnion range. This is a very rugged region, containing a number of peaks with primarily foreign (Slavic) names, such as Arotos, Doges, Tsouka, Lemiko and Koziakas. Tsamantas is divided by two small rivers the Stera and the Platanaki , which form the boundaries of the village’s three neighbourhoods: Pera Mahalas, Thana, and the smallest of all, Pranthis. The climate is very pleasant, and around the village are abundant springs of clear mountain water, such as Korpi, Theleiza, Aili, Pigadouli, Rigos, Skrigiazi, Dafniza. The population of Tsamantas has fluctuated wildly over the centuries. In 1832, it had just 120 families, compared with 280 four hundred years earlier. During the 1940s it reached a peak of 1800 inhabitants, but now has only 120 permanent inhabitants. This drastic reduction in the population is due to emigration to America, Australia, Canada and Europe, as well as other parts of Greece.Despite its small size, the village has produced important personalities in every area of human activity. In the old days, many of its inhabitants were capable enough to graduate from the prestigious schools and universities. Today, the village’s students have excelled in many disciplines, as educators, writers, folklorists, historians, doctors, merchants and artists. A recent paper by Dr. Dimitrios Konstadakopulos of the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. documents the process of chain migration of Greek migrants from the Epirote village of Tsamantas to Worcester, Massachusetts in the early 20th century. It shows that kinship networks have had a considerable influence on the migration process, resulting in a remarkable concentration of fellow villagers in this one American city. There has been relatively little systematic analysis of the role of extended family networks in facilitating the migration process. Although such networks have assisted migrants in dealing with the problems of settlement and adaptation, they have also restrained migrants’ ambitions and curtailed their entrepreneurial spirit. A profile of the first transatlantic migrants from Tsamantas, constructed by examining the crew and passenger manifests found in the archives of Ellis Island (the main reception point for immigrants to the United States), provides a clue not only to the kinship affiliation and occupational experiences of the immigrants but also to their social and economic background in the wider geopolitical context. Most importantly, it helps us comprehend the motivation of individuals deciding to emigrate. In conclusion, the paper shows that the kinship networks that facilitated chain migration to Worcester a hundred years ago still link many of the remaining villagers of Tsamantas in Greece with this diasporic community in New England, as well as in other American cities.